I'v got to say, by the end of the day my feet were frostier than Vladimir Putin’s gaze during the opening ceremony at the Olympics. Actually, it wasn’t that bad* even though, as you know, I have a horrible history with skiing. It's not my favorite activity. These days, though, the hardest part is actually getting all of the kids’ gear together -- a task Rick largely tackles by himself. Why? Because he knows he is already getting over by my agreeing to ski IN THE UNBELIEVABLE COLD.
I've got to say, I’ve been lucky. Rick and I have been together a long time which means I’ve had very few years without a valentine. That’s not to say I haven’t had a few Valentine’s Day duds before I met him. In fact, one of the worst gifts I ever received was on Valentine’s Day.
Eons ago I had a boyfriend give me a $20 bill…so I could buy the two of us pizza. My gift was I got to keep the change. Woo hoo. Talk about romantic! Surprisingly, my relationship with him didn’t last very long. To my shame, though, it did last through my birthday, which is in May. He'd wised up some, buying me a cute stuffed animal -- an animal which I later set ablaze at a Destroy Your Ex’s Stuff Party.** It was cathartic. Take that pizza boy!
I guess my point is that Valentine’s Day can stink regardless of whether or not you have someone to share it with, so if you didn’t have one this year don’t feel so bad. In fact, you might have gotten off easy.
* The cold wasn't that bad thanks to Cuddle Duds. Maybe it's the romance of Valentine's Day talking, but if I ever meet the inventor of Cuddle Duds I will kiss them full on the mouth, regardless of whether they are a man or a woman. (Don't hold me to that, though I promise to shake their hand.)
**That "setting it ablaze" part is a bold-faced lie designed to make me sound cool. The truth is at the party a little voice inside me kept saying, “What about the children, Janene? Some kid would love that stuffed animal. Don't burn it. Give it to charity!” Which I did instead. Still, I did help take a hammer to a friend’s ex-girlfriend’s TV set. Sure, it was already broken beyond repair, but… Oh man, I ruined the cool factor again. I’m just not good at this. Plus, truth be told, I had a great time skiing but please don’t tell my husband. I’d rather he think he owes me one.